There are many ways of using moving averages to trade but by far the most common method is to trade when a short-term moving average crosses over a longer term moving average. For example, if the 10-day MA crosses above the 30-day MA we typically assume that we have a new buy signal. Let’s stop
Gerald Appel developed an interesting oscillator that provides greater emphasis on recent price action over more distant activity through a creative use of exponential moving averages. The first step in the derivation of this indicator is to calculate a 12 and a 26 day exponential moving average from your price data. Your next step would
By Bennett McDowell Money management in trading involves specialized techniques combined with your own personal judgment. Failure to adhere to a sound money management program can leave you subject to a deadly “Risk-Of-Ruin” exposure and most probable equity bust. With this in mind, here are a few essential money management techniques that can make a
For many years I was a futures market reporter with the FWN wire service (now called OsterDowJones). I spent time working right on the futures trading floors in Chicago and New York. Most of the time my daily reporting “beat” involved interviewing traders and analysts and then writing three daily market reports. For months at
One of the most important decisions you will make as a trader is whether to elect the mark-to-market (MTM) accounting method. Although MTM is only available to traders, not investors, and does offer some significant tax advantages, it is not right for everyone. What makes this decision so important is that once you select MTM,